The most expensive spice in the world is more precious than gold

Due to its many health-beneficial compounds and manual harvesting process, saffron ranks at the top of the list of the world's most expensive spices.

Saffron is a valuable spice. Photo: Hemro

Saffron ( Crocus sativus ) is believed to have originated in Iran or Greece. When harvested fresh and dried, 1 pound of saffron can cost up to $5,000, according to MoneyInc.com . It is the most expensive spice in the world, according to IFL Science . It takes an estimated 170,000 flowers to produce just that amount of saffron, so the high price of saffron comes from the enormous labor required to harvest it properly.

Arash Ghalehgolabbehbahani, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Vermont, explains that saffron is the dried stigma of a flower. Workers must meticulously separate the stigma by hand. In countries like Iran, Afghanistan, and Morocco, saffron flowers must be harvested at dawn, because prolonged exposure to sunlight degrades the flower’s quality. On top of that, the flowers must be picked by hand, bloom for only one week a year, and each flower has only three usable stigmas. It takes workers up to 40 hours of hand-separating the stigmas to produce a pound of saffron.

Not only is harvesting saffron difficult, growing it is also a challenge. The plant, which only flowers in October or November, requires hot weather, direct sunlight, and well-drained soil to thrive. Iran currently produces about 90% of the world's saffron supply.

Like many other herbs, saffron is rich in antioxidants. These help fight cell damage, which may help prevent cancer and other diseases. Studies have also shown that the antioxidants in saffron are good for the brain and nervous system. All three antioxidants, crocetin, crocin, and safranal, found in saffron, contribute to improving memory and learning, thereby preventing neurological syndromes such as Parkinson's disease.

An Khang (According to IFL Science/How Stuff Works )

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